AMERICA/ECUADOR - "The family is called to treasure the transmission of faith, it must become supportive and missionary" the conclusions of the Second Congress for the Family

Quito (Agenzia Fides) - The Episcopal Conference of Ecuador has published the conclusions of the II National Congress of the Family, held simultaneously in Quito, Guayaquil, Portoviejo, Loja and Tena, from 9 to 12 November 2011 (see Fides 11/11/2011 ), of which a copy was sent to Fides. "Participants – is read in its conclusions - have verified that the family is the most important value, because it is within the family that one configures and maintains the identity and spirituality of our people".
"However, a social situation of material and moral poverty, situations of illness and disability, unemployment and few job opportunities are affecting many families. The reality of children, young and old who want to integrate into society, shows an increasing difficulty, with the complex reality of strengthening the responsibility of parents and family. This invites us to recognize that family life is very important to preserve the identity of the human person and the family".
"The culture of solidarity of our families - continues the text - is also an expression of faith of our people, which manifests itself in daily sharing. However divorces and separations, free and irresponsible unions continue to proliferate, that are witnesses of the fragility faced by the family as a social nucleus. The responsibility of the State and private entities in the good standard of living of families, must respect human rights and the exercise of duties and their religious professions as citizens. Only then we will ensure that the family, school and life values, do not lose its transcendental meaning".
The document concludes that "the family is called to treasure the uninterrupted transmission of faith, especially in the younger generations, so as to give top priority to the pastoral care of the family. This pastoral must become a missionary pastoral of prayer, reflection, guidance, solidarity, and embodied in the reality for the urgency that it has".
The participants of the Congress were about 5,700 according to the information sent to Agenzia Fides, and they worked on the theme "Family, work and festive day - The Ecuadorian family in mission: work and festive day at the service of the person and the common good" (" Familia, Trabajo y Fiesta - La familia ecuatoriana en misión: el trabajo y la fiesta al servicio de la persona y del bien común "). (CE) (Agenzia Fides 16/11/2011)